Message Boards

Topic : 02/21 The Dr. Phil House: Heroin Twins Follow-up

Number of Replies: 125

New Messages This Week: 0

Last Reply On:

Created on : Thursday, February 15, 2007, 04:41:20 pm

Author : DrPhilBoard1

Sarah and Tecoa check in with Dr. Phil after three months of drug rehabilitation. Sent to two separate rehab centers, the twin sisters had to learn to stand on their own two feet before they could move forward in sobriety. The sisters haven’t seen each other in months. How is Tecoa doing after giving birth and placing the baby for adoption? Which twin relapsed and used IV drugs after months of hard work? Then, after rescuing Sarah and Tecoa, Joani finds herself back to the life of addiction -- abusing pain killers, lying to doctors and even meeting one of the twins’ old drug dealers to purchase heroin! How did this happen? Plus, a viewer inspired by Sarah and Tecoa’s story reaches out for help. Talk about the show here.

As of January, 2009, this message board will become "Read Only" and will be closed to further posting. Please join the NEW Dr. Phil Community to continue your discussions, personalize your message board experience, start a blog and meet new friends.

Relapse and Recovery

Congrats for her staying clean and staying in the rehab. Select life! It is not easy it is hard, hard work. It is worth it. It only takes one time to overdose and you are dead. I am speaking from experience I have had 2 family members die of overdose. Sad that one of them still has not been able to beat it. (one of the twins) My heart hurts for her. My heart hurts for the family. Hard to talk to people about what is going on in their lives... as when you are that messed up you really have no concept. Hard for the mother to get others to relate to what she is going through. Hard for the family not just the addicts. Wish I could make them understand that the options are stop or lose your life. As a family member who has lost my family to this same addiction would love to have a one on one with the girls. I will pray for their mother first and I will also pray for them. I am no expert, just someone who cares. It is amazing how many everyday straight A students and athletes are involved with heroin that do not fit the regular symptoms. Some of these kids have told me they just did heroin first straight off the top...never any other drug. They tried it they liked it they were hooked immediately. We need to do more to support the families and we certainly do not know the answer to caring for these addicts. Relapse is huge. I am no longer on that roller coaster as my people are gone...they are dead. I onlky wish somehow I could touch others with my story to help them and their families. Trying to find a way to speak out and share with others with the hopes of enlightening them or just listening to the families and letting them know they are not alone. Dr. Phil thank you for bringing these things up and out into the public. I know how lonely it is when you as a parent are going through this and you do not know what to do. God bless.

Twins

02/21 The Dr. Phil House: Heroin Twins Follow-up

I'm strongly guessing it is Tecoa who relapsed. (1) She has been in jail and had not necessarily hit rock-bottom to the point that her sister did and (2), the biggest reason I think it is Tecoa is because giving up your baby is so traumatic, even when you know it is the best thing for your child and the ultimate act of love, it is so traumatic that Tecoa had to find some sort of strong strong coping mechanism somewhere, and even the healthiest woman, both mentally and physically would be messed up from having to give up their child for a long long time, possibly the rest of their life, or at least until much later, when/IF they can reunite with that child as an adult, and see that he/she has had a good life and be able to say all the unsaid things and make their peace with their child, and hopefully be able to establish a continuing relationship with them. My sister, Mel chose to give up her baby boy for adoption even though she was not on drugs, and was quite healthy. She was only 18, had no support from the father of the baby, no family support except me, older sister whose husband had just left me and I was struggling massively to raise 2 children of my own with no child support and family support. She looked at my situation and did not want that for her own child. She wanted a father and a mother who were "grown-ups", who were healthy, strong, loving and would be great parents. Though I tried to talk her out of giving her baby up, I have/had great admiration for her. However, she is now 37 and the trauma and the huge "hole" in her soul from giving up her baby has caused her lifelong problems and often has kept her from living the life she wanted and is capable of. Her son is now 18 and I would give anything for them to be able to find eachother. If my sister could only see that he was okay, and have the opportuity to slowly get to know him , I believe she would be able to begin to heal.

I feel terrible for Tecoa that she had to give up her baby. I wish there had been or was some sort of system or help out there that could somehow keep recovering mothers and their babies together, that kept the babies safe while helping the mothers recover and rebuild their lives.

Twin Story

When I started following this story I did not have much hope because I have heard that the percentage of people who truly stay clean after using heroin is under 3%. That kind of success rate did not seem to give the twins much of a chance. Then seeing that both girls sincerely wanted to get clean and wanted better lives gave me reason to believe they really would go the distance. It breaks my heart to read one of them is using again. What I found comical, is that my first thought after reading one of the twins had relasped was...I bet it was the pregnant twin. I do not remember which was which right now. I cannot wait to see the show, but I am a bit upset that it will not be good news all around.

Twins Follow Up

I am wondering how Joani is? She was doing so good. I thought that she had found her calling in life, helping other people beat their addictions. I too am addicted to pain killers, and I know how hard it is to get off them and stay off them. They were really lucky to have been on the DR. Phil show and to go to a rehab center. Not everybody gets a second chance like that. I will be praying for the twins and Joani.

02/21 The Dr. Phil House: Heroin Twins Follow-up

I'm strongly guessing it is Tecoa who relapsed. (1) She has been in jail and had not necessarily hit rock-bottom to the point that her sister did and (2), the biggest reason I think it is Tecoa is because giving up your baby is so traumatic, even when you know it is the best thing for your child and the ultimate act of love, it is so traumatic that Tecoa had to find some sort of strong strong coping mechanism somewhere, and even the healthiest woman, both mentally and physically would be messed up from having to give up their child for a long long time, possibly the rest of their life, or at least until much later, when/IF they can reunite with that child as an adult, and see that he/she has had a good life and be able to say all the unsaid things and make their peace with their child, and hopefully be able to establish a continuing relationship with them. My sister, Mel chose to give up her baby boy for adoption even though she was not on drugs, and was quite healthy. She was only 18, had no support from the father of the baby, no family support except me, older sister whose husband had just left me and I was struggling massively to raise 2 children of my own with no child support and family support. She looked at my situation and did not want that for her own child. She wanted a father and a mother who were "grown-ups", who were healthy, strong, loving and would be great parents. Though I tried to talk her out of giving her baby up, I have/had great admiration for her. However, she is now 37 and the trauma and the huge "hole" in her soul from giving up her baby has caused her lifelong problems and often has kept her from living the life she wanted and is capable of. Her son is now 18 and I would give anything for them to be able to find eachother. If my sister could only see that he was okay, and have the opportuity to slowly get to know him , I believe she would be able to begin to heal.

I feel terrible for Tecoa that she had to give up her baby. I wish there had been or was some sort of system or help out there that could somehow keep recovering mothers and their babies together, that kept the babies safe while helping the mothers recover and rebuild their lives.

I also think it is Tecoa that has relapsed and I also agree about her not hitting rock bottom before treatment as her sister did and because she had to give up her baby, making things harder on her after treatment. I think it has to be the hardest thing to do, to give your baby away and would be easier to want to escape those emotions that come after haven given your baby away, therefore easier to relapse. I think it takes much courage to put your baby up for adoption but in this case was the best thing for the baby to go on and have a stable, happier upbringing.

I had a baby at a very young age and kept my baby after struggling with the decision on whether he would be better off with an older more stable couple and I went through terrible problems with him in his teen years and early twenties and often wonder if he would have had a better life if I had been more courageous and had put him up for adoption, but what is done is done and I thank God for keeping him through it all and for helping him to get his life back on the right track!

I am sorry for Tecoas loss and sorry to hear that one of these precious people had relapsed after taking the major steps they took just to get to rehab and I pray that whichever one relapsed has been able to get back up on her feet and know that she can make it through this.

I am glad that this show was aired so more people could come to understand the drug problem in America, it is everywhere and most people hooked on drugs end up in the jail system or mental institutions. These two sisters need to realize the great opportunity that was given them by Dr. Phil.

I have a cousin that has been in the state mental hospital for the past several years and we do not know if she will ever come out of it. Her brain has been fried from the drug abuse she did as a teen and in her twenties, she lost all of her children, three of them, a bad situation but it happens a lot more than people realize.

Thank You Dr. Phil for opening our eyes to this terrible disease that is killing our young people at an alarming rate. I pray for better solutions in resolving this problem that has taken hold of so many people, both the young and older people caught up in drug abuse.

02/21 The Dr. Phil House: Heroin Twins Follow-up

The Twins Story

When I first heard about theses girls I cried in fear about what would I do if those were my girls.Hopefully I would never have to go threw this with them but It could happen. My heart went out to them both. I no what is like to be a addict for 16 years and have been clean for 3yrs and what a struggle I don't know how many times I tried to get clean but it's hard but I didn't and I know that they can to it may be hard but it takes only 1 time and that 1 time can kill you. It took that 1 time for me to realize that herion and pain pills are no joke and that it almost killed me just because I wanted to be stupid and get high that last time,that last big night before I went to rehab and I almost didn't make it to rehab,but because of some reason I am here today sometimes I ask myself how?and why? I am still here but I'm alive and thats all that matters and now I can cry today about what might or might not happen to my girls and all I can do is teach my girls about the dangers of drugs and life and teach the right ways of life.. I hope that those girls get threw this and my prayers are with them and I truly mean that from my heart......

02/21 The Dr. Phil House: Heroin Twins Follow-up

When I first heard about theses girls I cried in fear about what would I do if those were my girls.Hopefully I would never have to go threw this with them but It could happen. My heart went out to them both. I no what is like to be a addict for 16 years and have been clean for 3yrs and what a struggle I don't know how many times I tried to get clean but it's hard but I didn't and I know that they can to it may be hard but it takes only 1 time and that 1 time can kill you. It took that 1 time for me to realize that herion and pain pills are no joke and that it almost killed me just because I wanted to be stupid and get high that last time,that last big night before I went to rehab and I almost didn't make it to rehab,but because of some reason I am here today sometimes I ask myself how?and why? I am still here but I'm alive and thats all that matters and now I can cry today about what might or might not happen to my girls and all I can do is teach my girls about the dangers of drugs and life and teach the right ways of life.. I hope that those girls get threw this and my prayers are with them and I truly mean that from my heart......

Wow ive never been addicted and i never want to be there. Congradulations on being clean. I just have no clue what thats like. Ive done drugs but never got addicted. I havent done it forever thought. My hear also went out to those girls. Its like i wanted to try to help them myself. I just hope for there luck they clean up. And i just want to say to you keep your head up drugs anly make things worst.